>> Friday, May 19, 2017

BAUKO, Mountain
Province – The Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army –
Cordillera Bodong Association (CPLA-CBA) urged government to grant Cordillera
regional autonomy they said they had long been pursuing.

This
happened during consultation themed “Pioneer Cordillera champions coming
together moving forward for autonomy towards federalism,” recently at
historic Mount Data Hotel in this town with Office of the Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Sec. Jesus Dureza.

Dureza
urged groups and entities from Cordillera to unite to attain autonomy during
consultation organized by the Regional Development Council – Cordillera in
collaboration with the OPAPP to explore engagement of advocates for Cordillera
autonomy in reinforcing RDC program to achieve autonomy towards federalism. Dureza
said the Duterte Administration is supportive of Cordillera autonomy and
Bangsamoro of Mindanao.

He urged
Cordillerans regardless of culture, tradition and belief to unite to show that
they are one in pursuing regional autonomy.

“In the
Cordillera region, madaming grupo, mayroon pang nagkawatak watak and we can
understand that since the Cordillera has a very diverse culture, people and
tradition; there should be one united effort from by all towards autonomy in
the Cordillera region,” the Secretary said.

During the
event, leaders and representatives from various factions of the CPLA with its
political arm the CBA, voiced out their support to regional autonomy.

Despite the
CPLA-CBA coming from the different factions, CBA president

Andres
Ngao-i of Kalinga said they are one in supporting the autonomy status for the
Cordillera region.

“We are not
only a supporter of the fight for autonomy but we are reminders of the national
government of the agreement of the CPLA with the government in attaining the
autonomous status of the region,” Ngao-i added.

“We, the
CBA-CPLA, are claiming from the government for their part particularly in
granting the autonomous status for the Cordillera region which was part of the
written agreement and signed in the historic Mount Data Hotel in 1986 with then
President Corazon Aquino and the CPLA led by Father Conrado Balweg.”

“We want to
be united, we want to return the time of Father Balweg when we are one group
fighting for the Cordillera region,” he added.

Among the
CPLA leaders present who shared their thoughts were Conrad Dieza, former Mayor
Mailed Molina and the Cosagon faction.

Ngao-I said
the CBA as political arm of CPLA and neutral to different factions, will form a
technical working group to study how to unify CPLA factions in the coming
weeks.

More than a
hundred CPLA members came to the event and expressed their support to
Cordillera autonomy. -- PIA CAR